The present invention relates generally to a header of an agricultural farm implement. In particular, the present invention relates to a cutter guard assembly for a knife drive of a header for an agricultural farm implement.
Mechanical harvesting of crop and processing of crop material has taken place for decades. However, efforts continue in the attempt to make harvesting and farm processing operations more efficient and effective. This is typically accomplished with farm implements such as mechanical harvesters, a hay head, windrowers, etc. Exemplary farm implements include an agricultural combine having a header which cuts the crop. The header then moves the cut crop into a feeder house. The feeder house lifts the cut crop into the threshing, separation and cleaning areas of the agricultural combine. An operator usually runs these various operations from a glass-enclosed cab.
Certain farm implements have headers such as a draper header or windrow. Draper headers include a knife assembly and cutter bar assembly typically supported along a support extending in a widthwise direction of the combine. The knife assembly is typically oriented so as to extend sidewardly along a forward edge portion of a support structure (running in a widthwise direction of the combine) of the header. The header includes a floor sheet or pan which can define the lower periphery of a cut crop or plant flow area, and which can include a conveying apparatus, such as one or more augers or belts, operable in cooperation with a reel in machines so equipped, for conveying the cut plant material and crops, for instance, to a feeder inlet of a combine or windrow forming apparatus of a windrower.
Conventional draper headers include sickles or sickle knives having cutter bars supporting a row of knives for cutting plants, including, but not limited to, hay, grasses, small grains and the like. In general, such knives are composed of a plurality of knife or sickle sections which are mounted in side by side relation forming an elongate metal knife assembly or reciprocating assembly. The reciprocating knife assembly is normally supported so as to slide longitudinally along an elongate stationary bar that has forwardly projecting, spaced apart guards bolted to a structural beam or knife back. The knife assembly moves back and forth in a reciprocating movement to move the knives relative to the guards so that the leading knife edges of the knives cross over the guards or through slots in the guards. This produces a shearing or cutting action which severs plant stems and stalks or other material captured between the knives and the guards.
Such headers of agricultural farm implements are used for cutting and/or processing large quantities of crop material. In doing so, however, excessive amounts of material collect on the surfaces of a center mounted knife assembly, such as the knife assembly's gear box, floor sheet, flaps, and cutter bar assembly which can ultimately lead to operational failure of such components. As a result, the collection of material on these components must be intermittently cleaned out on a regular basis during operation in order to ensure proper operation of the header and prevention of mechanical failure of the header, which is a time consuming and costly process As such, a need still exists for a cutter guard assembly for a knife drive of an agricultural farm implement that addresses the foregoing issues.